We know they were two different animals because the tail-tips were different. Look forward to talking more. Being in a residential neighborhood does nothing for a cougar.. The fourth-largest cat in the world, it thrived from the frigid Yukon to the tip of South America. There are at least 10 different subspecies of white-tailed deer, and it doesnt make a bit of difference in the grand scheme of things.. My husband saw it too. Make noise by speaking loudly and firmly at the lion, slapping a stick, or clapping slowly and loudly. It moved with grace and without sound. "Don't care what the officials say. As my friends wife was leaving, she looked out the window and said that saw what she thought to be dear. Use bear spray or pepper spray on mountain lions. Human expansion and economic progress have driven natural predators out of Virginia, giving the deer free rein. It really burns me up to hear so called experts say that there are no mountain lions or even wolves for that matter in VA. About 10-12 years ago, there was a pretty severe drought, and I know I saw a wolf in the Woodlake area of Midlothian, but everyone said are you sure it wasnt a big dog? If you see a wolf, you know its not a dog. I have hiked (a lot) and hunted in the woods for 35 years and I cannot say for sure that I have seen a mountain lion. smokymtman, Chris Desborough/Shutterstock.com. Now, they are mostly relegated to a few states in the west. Modern DNA studies have led to a consolidation into just two subspecies, though not all scientists agree. I was going to let him walk on by obviously, when suddenly he sat down about 25 yards right in front of me, not facing me, I had a beautiful side view of him. But we are talking about an actual animal which has a possibility of existing in localized population in some areas of the east. It was shocking to see something so unexpected! Montross, VA . There are currently an estimated 20,000-40,000 mountain lions remaining in the United States, but that number used to be much larger. The "coywolf" is an informal term for a unique hybrid of western coyotes and eastern timber wolves. Do wolves live on the Appalachian Trail, more specifically on Roan Mountain? We never saw it again. All we get are hearsay stories and misidentified wildlife. However, my husband couldnt contain his excitement and called me immediately to tell me he had his own personal proof of the existance of cougars in Virginia! Only saw it for a split second, but it was definitely a cat and had a long tail. Mountain Lion. As we were approaching the Mabry Mill area, my daughter said excitedly hey dad, look, a bullmastiff (we bred them in Ct, and still have 2 adult males as pets). A mountain lion is a wild cat ranging from two to three feet tall, with females weighing up to 120lbs and males up to 200lbs, making it the fourth largest cat in the world. I grew up in NW Virginia near the Shenandoahs and have heard folks mention seeing mt. I couldnt see their relative sizes, as they were not close together until right before I entered the woods, and one was very low in the grass, could only see its eyes reflected. VA. In 1972 a large cat crossed the road in front of me while I was driving down a road in Appomattox Va. Its body including the long tail was as long as the front end of the truck I was driving (1970 El Camino). rick_freer@yahoo.com, Theyre out there Im still amazed at the VDGIF not publicly admitting that theyre back in the state. While he was sitting his tail came to his front side and swept the ground floor back and forth. I have friends in Wyoming and Montana, where mountain lions have always been. It was such a chilling sound at 1:30 in the morning. So about three blocks from my turn onto our road I spotted Eye shine crossing in front of our car. Had an Eagle land right outside the living room window one time. twice in the last 6 months. This animal is about 4-5 ft long not including about a 30 inch tail. It was the first time I could see it clearly. That would be earth shattering for the depts. In reply to Beowulf it may interest you to know I accomplied a rabit hunter back to Appomattox County where he had found a cougar carcass. Victim of animal attack treated for rabies. The U.S. In fact, there have been 121 reports that are likely to have been true mountain lion sightings. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the eastern subspecies extinct. I was wondering what people think about people (either the wildlife service of just other people) not believing that mountain lions exist in the Eastern United States, especially in Virginia. On Saturday October 11 2008, I was bow hunting on our place in Amelia Virginia and a mountain lion walked right up and sat down about 25 yards in front of me. Source: US Fish and Wildlife Service, Eastern Cougar Recovery Plan (page 2), http://mountainlion.org/us/NC/-NC-history.asp, https://blog.wildlife.virginia.gov/outdoor-report/2016/03/the-myth-of-mountain-lions-in-virginia/, https://www.fws.gov/northeast/ecougar/pdf/Cougar_News_Bulletin_Final_1_18.pdf, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/01/23/2018-01127/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-removing-the-eastern-puma-cougar-from-the-federal-list, https://www.fws.gov/refuge/florida_panther/wah/panther.html, https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/29/opinion/the-cougar-behind-your-trash-can.html, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.0030333, https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mcvmagazine/issues/2015/sep-oct/cougars-in-minnesota.html, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Comission, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. I dont know what you saw, but cougars are never black. If anyone is interested, you may write me at thatwhitekid247@aol.com. I went outside to feed my cat and in the silence of the night, early morning I heard the eerie sounds of coyotes across the hill. Above post by Rob about a Lion in Wise virginia is a hoax! Cougars used to roam the entirety of North America, making the mountain ranges, woodland forests, and river corridors from coast to coast their homes. He got up and armed with only a flashlight he ventured outside to see why the horses were so restless and upset. Me and my team are currently looking into the idea that the Eastern Cougar, more commonly known as the Mountain Lion exist is the Appalachians of Virginia. Pretty exciting. Does it make a circle on a set time period or does it travel randomly? For a solid four seconds, Marchibroda watched as a large, sleek cat standing about three feet tall with a long, curled tail crossed Skyline Drive near Gavel Springs Gap less than 100 feet in front of them . If for some reason there were any cougars rediscovered in the east that werent migrants from the west, the protection status is up to the state in which it is found, LaRue said. Loudoun County Va , where they are now expanding the landfill , we hear the cougar cry less often now but it is still making its presence known and its a little further in the distance now instead of right at the back door. This isnt just hearsay.. It has to be a good, clear photo, and we get all kinds of fuzzy stuff that could be a bobcat, could be a yellow lab, but its so far away or so fuzzy we cant tell.. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. Lystrosaurus was one of the few terrestial species that survived the permian extinction. Large aggressive alpha predator spotted in Central Virginia near Fredericksburg on july, 17 2018 The girls were young and werent sure what theyd seen. Females have gradually made their way into states like Nebraska, South Dakota, Arkansas, and Missouri, but according to LaRue, it turns out the midwest largely is not a great habitat. So its not unreasonable to assume that theyll continue on and eventually end up in states near and on the eastern seaboard, where lush mountain ranges like the Blue Ridge and Smokies offer prime habitat and sustenance (deer, primarily) for the cats. Rockingham Co., va As a result, multiple sightings across different time ranges could be attributed to the same cat. By 2011, U.S. They produced over 20 kittens, expanding the gene pool successfully.5, the Eastern Cougar is prefers a habitat with trees It was approx 3 ft high (estimation). You'll receive your first newsletter soon! Loudoun County Off of Woods road almost every single night we hear a mountain lion , no doubt at all this is what it is. Cougars prowled nearly all of the United States below Canada, and all of Virginia from mountain . He saw the cougar on March 10, 2015 while working in the field near Vida, Oregon.". The states beautiful wilderness and mountainous terrain are prime mountain lion habitats. So that is all the details I can think of except I didnt mention that the cat was tan with dark fur higlighting its face, looked like pictures Ive seen of them really and I figured due to its size and the fact that it had no spots left that we could see it was almost grown. The mountain lion was lying down in the snow. As for photos circulating via social media, he thinks it may start out light humored and then get carried away. Tickets are $8.00 and parking fee is included. If an animal approaches, prepare to fight and protect your head and neck from the attack. hunterb8s@yahoo.com. I live in Spout Spring. Pretty much the same thing as we read here. Several years later one of our neighbors was awakened by a commotion in the barn. About 200 yards west of the main gate of Mount Weather (Morgans Mill Road) in Clarke county. This Fearless Cougar Doesnt Care How Much, Mountain Lion (Cougar) Population by State, Do Mountain Lions Attack Humans? They have been absent from this state since the late 1800s; however, there have been a few isolated sightings. Mountain Lions in Virginia: How Theyre Here and Why Its Denied. In October & November of 2007, my dogs got to barking. My 70lb lab is 24 at the shoulder for comparison. An elderly man there once told me a story about a black Mountain Lion living in the area back in his younger days. We have no intentions, but if they show up, they show up.. like when you see a wolf look at the paws for positive ID. (We use a copy of the original picture in lectures across Virginia). I am wondering if there is anyone who is tracking these sightings and wants to know moreIt was clearly a cougar. What is this. No good road kill presented to VDWR or local newspapers, none trapped by hunters or researchers, none seen by professional naturalists or captured by wildlife photographers. Is it a change in the regime their [sic]? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. We have heard them up near the edge of the mountains but never this close. The folks living in those areas, at least in WV, mostly keep to themselves and most of those folks do not have computers. There have been 121 mountain lion sightings in Virginia since 1970. i would love their return to our wilds. According to the game warden, that is the 3rd one killed on the road in this region in 6 months. Photos are difficult to confirm, Peterson saidthe process involves sending wildlife experts to the exact spot where the cat was allegedly seen to take another photo in order to compare it to the original and verify the location. We couldnt figure out what it was so we did a little research and felt the sounds couldnt be anything other than a cougar. I was out for a morning run on some back roads (in Page County, north of Luray, just west of Route 340.) Overall about 3 1/2 inches wide by about 3 inches front to back. To improve the genetics of the Florida Panther, eight Texas females were brought to South Florida. All rights reserved. There was no mistaking the color and the face we saw very clearly not to mention its slim tail that was still visible on the edge of the road. There are just too many of these stories for her to believe that the cats are extinct. Instead, these sightings are likely captive cats that were intentionally or accidentally released or traveling cats from a state out west. In a Facebook post, the Madison County and Warren . It finally took off on the other side of the road into the woods, and I made a U-turn to the nearest farmhouse! I raise miniature horses and am quite concerned as we are surrounded by woods in Warrenton. I am from western North Carolina. About 30 years ago around Christmas, he received a call that a mountain lion was spotted in Grottoes. Thats my opinion. Feel free to join the discussion by leaving comments, and stay updated by subscribing to the, Expansion and Restoration of Bison to Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, History of the Greater Yellowstone wolf restoration, Do you have some interesting wildlife news? I believe that area was once habitat for the red wolf. VIRGINIA CITY, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) A Storey County Sheriff's Office deputy took a photo of a mountain lion in Virginia City over the weekend. Last week in a dusty spot I found what I thought might be catamount signs. Its been about ten years since then and Smith Mountain Lake has become a vacation spot for every northern virginian there is so the mountain lion probably found a more secluded area, there is a ton of it out there, to hunt and live. You can reach her at lpeters@newsleader.com or 213-9125. Im not suggesting this a farm animal. I just want to confirm that, yes, theyre back and I hope they stay around! It wasnt too long after we moved in that we began hearing screaming coming from the area of the river (Bull Run). I will have to go back, & look to see if it was an eight point deer, but I did see the rack. I have a call into the animal control (only to find out if there were others who reported it) and hope to hear back from them tomorrow. , and all of Virginia from mountain species that survived the permian extinction the same thing we... Time i could see it clearly only a flashlight he ventured outside to see the. 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The Shenandoahs and have heard folks mention seeing mt for comparison prowled nearly all Virginia... A few isolated sightings and then get carried away different time ranges be. Outside to see why the horses were so restless and upset split second, but it was definitely a and... It clearly out light humored and then get carried away see why the horses were so restless upset.
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